This invention relates to rainwear, and more particularly to an inexpensive and disposable, waterproof protector or raincoat, especially suited for use in conditions where the xe2x80x9celementsxe2x80x9d, such as rain or snow are unexpected or for use by workers and others who primarily are engaged in outdoor activities or working conditions, such as gardeners, contractors, builders, tourists, campers, police, postman and the like. In fact just about anyone would rather be inclined to have a xe2x80x9csparexe2x80x9d disposable raincoat in their pocket rather than carrying around an umbrella all day long and/or losing same somewhere along one""s busy day. In addition, the invention is suitable for use as xe2x80x9cgive-a-waysxe2x80x9d or as a xe2x80x9cpremiumxe2x80x9d in connection with the marketing of any product; and it can be utilized at xe2x80x9csummertimexe2x80x9d outdoor concerts, or any other type of outdoor activity, paintball games, the Olympics or other like games, other sporting events or any type of outdoor events, such as where people are gathered en masse in very large numbers.
Various raincoat designs are known, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 46,244 to Rush; Des. 294,535 to Stricklin; 4,313,229 to Villafane; 4,055,852 to Wallace; 4,370,755 to Crumby and 5,099,526 to Baena. However, all of these raincoat designs have one or more the following disadvantages: long open sides or front openings where rain, snow, etc. can enter the area protecting a user and thus wet the user""s body; requires multiple parts or a multitude of sizes so as to fit all users; requires face and/or body straps or other tying strips which break or fail in use as the raincoat material is usually very thin and frail and generally easily torn or ripped if abused or handled roughly; is made from conventional plastic, garbage bags or lay flat tubing; precludes or restricts mobility of the arms; or are rather hot in use as no chest ventilation is employed nor large elongated arm holes or xe2x80x9cslotsxe2x80x9d to minimize discomfort due to the use of plastic itself which is predominately the material of choice for such raingear due to its low cost and disposability.
The invention concerns outerwear or raingear in the form of a cone, made of a substantially waterproofed material, with opposing front and backpanels having bottom edges and a bottom opening and sealed side edges that terminate at the bottom opening. The front panel further having at least a partially perforated face opening disposed below where the side edges terminate at a top end, and having at least two partially perforated openings disposed below the face opening.
The invention also pertains to a process for manufacturing a disposable raincoat which includes the steps of partially perforating a first elongated plastic sheet material with at least a partially perforated face opening and at least two partially perforated openings disposed below the face opening, aligning another elongated plastic sheet material with the partially perforated plastic sheet material so that their elongated edges generally coincide with each other; and sealing opposing side edges of the cone-shaped outerwear so that a plurality of connected triangular shaped raincoats are formed with front and backpanels secured together along the sealed opposing side edges; and cutting the sealed front and back panels along a sealed side edge to form a triangular shaped cone-shaped outerwear with a bottom opening and closed side edges.
Lastly, the plastic disposable raingear of the invention can be dispensed, as desired, one at a time from a single continuous roll of xe2x80x9cconnectedxe2x80x9d identical raincoats, having a predetermined base width and two layers of plastic sheet material, and with perforations on one of said layers of plastic sheet material, so that the one layer forms with the other plastic layer oppositely disposed triangular shaped front and back panel sides of the raingear with sealed and perforated side edges, and with at least a partially perforated face opening and at least two partially perforated openings disposed below the face opening.